Dependable Burgundy

Louis Jadot at the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter

8 January 2005.

One of the best things about the Decanter Fine Wine Encounter, always held in late November in London, is the fact that you get to meet many of the producers and that it allows you to try a whole range of wines from one particular producer. Something that might normally be cost prohibitive, or simply not practical (what can you do with 12 opened bottles, other than have a party?) is all of a sudden no longer a problem.

I've always been a fan of the wines from the Burgundy house of Louis Jadot. A few years back we enjoyed a fabulous 1999 Chateau des Jacques, Moulin-A-Vent, Beaujolais in a magnum for Christmas. It was delicious and incredibly festive in that big bottle. It makes you feel quite rich, if only for a short while.

The Louis Jadot line-up this year consisted of 8 wines, four whites (all Chardonnay as is the case in Burgundy) and four reds (all Pinot Noir bar one, for the same reason). Burgundians don't consider they make Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, they make Meursault and Beaune instead, using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes respectively. I don't think they are snooty about it, they just don't consider it that important, certainly not important enough to put it on their labels. So there you go. White Burgundy is made from Chardonnay (this includes Chablis as well), red Burgundy has to be Pinot Noir. The southern region of Beaujolais makes red wine purely from the Gamay grape, which at the best sites (Ch. des Jacques) yields some fantastic full flavoured wines. Get your hands on any of the Beaujolais Crus from 2003, that hot summer vintage and you'll see what I mean. At the Sunday Times Wine Club Tasting we had a particularly nice example of the Chenas.

Louis Jadot also makes a good example, this time from Morgon, Chateau des Lumieres 2001. I found it still quite tannic and a serious wine. Nothing to do with thin Beaujolais Nouveau, that was all the rage when shoulder pads were in fashion.

There are a couple of oddities in Burgundy, such as the Aligote grape, which is allowed for white wine production. In that case you will see it on the label though. Some decent rose is also produced, using Pinot Noir or Gamay.

Good Burgundy has been notoriously difficult to buy. The great names fall out of my and most people's budgets and can be very hard to come by. Much of the generic Burgundy that is produced isn't up to much and disappoints more often than not.

So how to buy dependable Burgundy then, you ask? Names do actually account for something in Burgundy. The terroir is often terrific, the grapes, as we found out, are the same in most cases, so the difference between good and bad is mostly in the winemaking. Personally, I think Louis Jadot falls in the category of 'good winemaking' as evidenced in the tasting.

None of the wines on offer disappointed, some stood out for their sheer loveliness as well as value for money.

My favourite was the Marsannay 2000. This small, northernmost appellation in the Cote de Nuits had a beautifully scented nose. Lovely forest fruits, delicate with a terrific balance. And at £11.50 a bottle it is great value too.

Other good examples are the Beane 2000, (£17) which is warm and smells of a fresh pine forest. A nice autumn red, well that's what the smell reminds me of, but I'm sure it does well in front of a roaring fire in mid-winter.

The Clos des Ursules Beaune 1er Cru 2000, has a higher pedigree and shows a more concentrated nose. But then you would expect that. It's subsequent hike in price also reflects this (£33 approx), but it is very good nonetheless.

On the white front I liked the light and creamy, very lightly oaked Chateau de Loche, Pouilly Loche, 2002, (£13.75) and the Meursault 2002. (£22) This had a really deep concentrated nose but still came across as young and light on the palate. A mere infant in Meursault terms.

A nice elegant wine, also very fresh was the Sur Gamay Saint Aubin 1er Cru 2000. (£19) Not bad value as Saint Aubin as a village is lesser known than its very expensive neighbour, Chassagne Montrachet.

So where do you buy a good Burgundy? This is one area where the supermarket really lets you down and you should use independent, specialist merchants for this. If you're thinking of buying it young, you'll need the space to cellar it for a few years. It is possible to buy it at release and leave it cellared at the merchant's warehouse. The drawback of this is that you can't touch it, nor can you really follow its progress by opening a bottle every now and then. On the plus-side; they will look after it well and you won't drink it all at once when it is far from ready.

For the ready to drink category specialist suppliers will also be able to help, although good vintages and names sell out fast, so keep an eye on the internet. www.everywine.co.uk has a decent Louis Jadot range and most of the wines above are on their website if not always the same vintage.

If all fails, Burgundy is a beautiful region to visit and you could pick up a few bottles on the way.